Enjoy this easy to fix pasta. The kids and your guests will love it!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 3 mild Italian Sausage, chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 tsp fennel seed, crushed
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 29 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 5 basil leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 3/4 cup half and half
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in heavy saucepan
2. Add sausage and brown
3. Add onion and garlic, cook until the onion is translucent
4. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, fennel, and basil
5. Stir and cook over moderate heat for 20 to 30 minutes
6. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add all the pasta at once and stir well
7. When the sauce is ready, put half and half in a bowl and add a little of the hot sauce to it to temper the milk. Add the milk to the rest of the sauce.
8. When the rigatoni is al dente, drain and put in large serving bowl
9. Add the sauce and stir to coat
10. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with fresh parmesan cheese.

Note: Keep fennel seed in a pepper grinder. When you need crushed fennel just use the grinder.

Paula Laurita
Italian Food Host

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